As of January 1, 2019, we have closed our forums. This is a decision we did not come to lightly, but it is necessary. The software our forums run on is just too out-of-date and it poses a significant security risk. The server software itself must be updated, and it cannot be without removing the forums.
So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our long-running forums. They came online in 2000 and brought together so many wonderful Disney fans. We had friendships form, careers launch, couples marry, children born ... all because of this amazing community.
Thank you to each of you who were a part of this community. You made it possible.
And a very special thank you to our Guides (moderators), past and present, who kept our forums a happy place to be. You are the glue that held everything together, and we are forever grateful to you. Thank you aliceinwdw, Caldercup, MrsM, WillCAD, Fortissimo, GingerJ, HiddenMickey, CRCrazy, Eeyoresmom, disneyknut, disneydani, Cam22, chezp, WDWfan, Luvsun, KMB733, rescuesk, OhToodles!, Colexis Mom, lfredsbo, HiddenMickey, DrDolphin, DopeyGirl, duck addict, Disneybine, PixieMichele, Sandra Bostwick, Eeyore Tattoo, DyanKJ130, Suzy Q'Disney, LilMarcieMouse, AllisonG, Belle*, Chrissi, Brant, DawnDenise, Crystalloubear, Disneymom9092, FanOfMickey, Goofy4Goofy, GoofyMom, Home4us123, iamgrumpy, ilovedisney247, Jennifer2003, Jenny Pooh, KrisLuvsDisney, Ladyt, Laughaholic88, LauraBelle Hime, Lilianna, LizardCop, Loobyoxlip, lukeandbrooksmom, marisag, michnash, MickeyMAC, OffKilter_Lynn, PamelaK, Poor_Eeyore, ripkensnana, RobDVC, SHEANA1226, Shell of the South, snoozin, Statelady01, Tara O'Hara, tigger22, Tink and Co., Tinkerbelz, WDWJAMBA, wdwlovers, Wendyismyname, whoSEZ, WildforWD, and WvuGrrrl. You made the magic.
We want to personally thank Sara Varney, who coordinated our community for many years (among so many other things she did for us), and Cheryl Pendry, our Message Board Manager who helped train our Guides, and Ginger Jabour, who helped us with the PassPorter-specific forums and Live! Guides. Thank you for your time, energy, and enthusiasm. You made it all happen.
There are other changes as well.
Why? Well, the world has changed. And change with it, we must. The lyrics to "We Go On" for IllumiNations say it best:
We go on to the joy and through the tears
We go on to discover new frontiers
Moving on with the current of the years.
We go on
Moving forward now as one
Moving on with a spirit born to run
Ever on with each rising sun.
To a new day, we go on.
It's time to move on and move forward.
PassPorter is a small business, and for many years it supported our family. But the world changed, print books took a backseat to the Internet, and for a long time now it has been unable to make ends meet. We've had to find new ways to support our family, which means new careers and less and less time available to devote to our first baby, PassPorter.
But eventually, we must move on and move forward. It is the right thing to do.
So we are retiring this newsletter, as we simply cannot keep up with it. Many thanks to Mouse Fan Travel who supported it all these years, to All Ears and MousePlanet who helped us with news, to our many article contributors, and -- most importantly -- to Sara Varney who edited our newsletter so wonderfully for years and years.
And we are no longer charging for the Live Guides. If you have a subscription, it's yours to keep for the lifetime of the Live Guides at no additional cost. The Live Guides will stay online, barring server issues and technical problems, for all of 2019.
That said, PassPorter is not going away. Most of the resources will remain online for as long as we can support them, and after that we will find ways to make whatever we can available. PassPorter means a great deal to us, and to many of you, and we will do our best to keep it alive in whatever way we can. Our server costs are high, and they'll need to come out of our pockets, so in the future you can expect some changes so we can bring those costs down.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support over the years. Without you, there's no way us little guys could have made something like this happen and given the "big guys" a run for their money. PassPorter was consistently the #3 guidebook after the Unofficial and Official guides, which was really unheard of for such a small company to do. We ROCKED it thanks to you and your support and love!
If you miss us, you can still find some of us online. Sara started a new blog at DisneyParkPrincess.com -- I strongly urge you to visit and get on her mailing list. She IS the Disney park princess and knows Disney backward and forward. And I am blogging as well at JenniferMaker.com, which is a little craft blog I started a couple of years ago to make ends meet. You can see and hear me in my craft show at https://www.youtube.com/c/jennifermaker . Many PassPorter readers and fans are on Facebook, in groups they formed like the PassPorter Trip Reports and PassPorter Crafting Challenge (if you join, just let them know you read about it in the newsletter). And some of our most devoted community members started a forum of their own at Pixie Dust Lane and all are invited over.
So we encourage you to stay in touch with us and your fellow community members wherever works best for you!
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We are booked at Port Orleans Riverside in June. The new "preferred" category had me confused. My mother is going with us and she has emphysema. I origanlly requested bldg 14. I am assuming that will be preferred now. We would really rather not pay extra for a room. How far are the other buildings from the food court and main pool? For example, is bldg 36 for example, maybe a quarter mile, half mile? What about the mansion buildings? What would be the farthest distance? I know people have said its about a 5 minute walk but that is subjective to how fast or slow you walk. Other than the obvious choices like 14 and 15, what other buildings are an ok distance from the food court?
ok, now Im even more confused. I called disney and asked. The CM I spoke to said ALL of AB section was going to be "preferred". Bldg 14-39. That didnt make sense to me since the description of preferred on disney website is "close to main building".
So I called and talked to another CM who told me NONE of AB would be preferred and only Magnolia Terrace and Acadia House. Then I called POR directly and they told me to call reservations they didn't have any info.
I'd be confused too.
If I were you, I'd keep your reservation as is for now. Request the building you want on your current reservation and tell them why (medical consideration).
http://allears.net/acc/portorleansmap.jpg We stayed in Magnolia Terrace (bldg 85) and felt it was a great location. We stayed on the side next to quiet pool, very close to bridge over to main pool, and a short walk from there to food court. The bus stop was just across the parking lot. And the mansions have elevators. AB do not.
I'm wondering how this newest option will effect building requests for everyone. Building #14 in AB and Magnolia Terrace and Oak Manor are all good options when it comes to being close to the main building. In the past I've added those requests to my reservation and hoped for the best. Now that there's an option of paying for the guarantee I'm wondering if it will become harder to get the "requests" since some people are giving extra money for the guarantee of getting one of those rooms
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Offsite May 2005, POR September 2006, POR August 2007, POFQ December 2008, POR February 2010,
Pop Century April 2011,
I'm wondering how this newest option will effect building requests for everyone. Building #14 in AB and Magnolia Terrace and Oak Manor are all good options when it comes to being close to the main building. In the past I've added those requests to my reservation and hoped for the best. Now that there's an option of paying for the guarantee I'm wondering if it will become harder to get the "requests" since some people are giving extra money for the guarantee of getting one of those rooms
Dunno. But I'll let you know, we are going next Jan, and I requested Mag. Terrace again.
We are booked at Port Orleans Riverside in June. The new "preferred" category had me confused. My mother is going with us and she has emphysema. I origanlly requested bldg 14. I am assuming that will be preferred now. We would really rather not pay extra for a room. How far are the other buildings from the food court and main pool? For example, is bldg 36 for example, maybe a quarter mile, half mile? What about the mansion buildings? What would be the farthest distance? I know people have said its about a 5 minute walk but that is subjective to how fast or slow you walk. Other than the obvious choices like 14 and 15, what other buildings are an ok distance from the food court?
Thanks!!!!!!
I don't really know abou the "preferred" business...that is new. We have stayed at POR several times and never encountered that...
However, in Alligator Bayou, buildings 14, 15, 18 are all close to the main building and bus stop. Possibly, you can make this request on behalf of your mother who may not be up for lots of extra walking (due to emphysema). Maybe that will prioritize your request.
We have also stayed in building 27 which was quite a walk from the parking lot (ugh...) but not too far from the main building. It took us several minutes to walk to the bus etc. and we are fast walkers.
I am not sure of the distance from building 36 to the main building but it will be a good hike. The paths weave around a bit and can even be confusing. I would say 5 minutes is probably a good estimate if you are walking quickly.
Of course, there are several bus stops more convenient to that side of the resort. I would not walk to the main bus stop unless I was already there for a meal or something.
I hope that helps.
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"Disneyland has that thing - the imagination and the feeling of happy excitement - I knew when I was a kid."
--Walt Disney